Graphical Column Schedule

[formology]

We know Revit Rocks but the Graphical Column Schedule isn't quite what users need. Here at Formology we're looking at ways we can bring needed functionality to the Revit GCS.

If you would be interested in this extended functionality and would like to contribute to requirements, please share your thoughts on the questions in the next post. It would be great to have community discussions here in this thread and we hope that we can help!

Thanks,
-Zach

[formology]

Just to kick off the discussion here (I think more in the spirit of the R&D forum):

What we're proposing is a custom drafted drafting view of your column schedule.

What we could do:

1. Allow any shared parameter associated with columns to be added as a row of data (anchor bolt info, baseplate info, etc.)

2. Schedule slanted columns

3. Schedule geometry without floors cutting out columns

4. Schedule columns from linked models

5. Schedule and sort columns by height, column mark, baseplate type, grid intersection or by any parameter you specify.

6. Customize the way off-grid columns are labeled.

7. Automatically keep itself up to date

8. Control over linestyles used




What do you need a custom GCS to do?




Things we need to understand:

1. If additional rows of data are to be added to the schedule, which column in a vertical chain does it come from?

2. How would you deal with naming off-grid columns

3. Do you also need columns in a column schedule to have an indication of which grid intersection they live near?

4. Would a more integrated system for columns, baseplates, footings with schedules be of interest?

Looking forward to your thoughts

[wrartes]

any news about this.

[formology]

Hi,

Thanks for your interest but unfortunately, no major news. I was hoping to get some feedback on the types of issues listed in a previous post. We want to make sure we're working on solving real problems for people and I am basically reading an almost zero response rate as suggesting that an improved GCS isn't as interesting as I initially thought it would be.

We've got some other things in the works which we should be posting about soon. If an improved GCS would make a big difference for you then by all means, let us know your thoughts on the questions above (or below depending on how yours is sorted) and see if you can find other users also interested and see if you can get them involved.

We made a proof of concept which gave me confidence that we could do it and then started working on a prototype but I have to say, the lack of noticible interest makes me less inclined to continue with the project. There are several weeks of development left for the prototype but it's on the shelf right now.

We're open to encouragement!

Thanks,
-Zach

[wrartes]

HI,

I will try to respond below;

1. Allow any shared parameter associated with columns to be added as a row of data (anchor bolt info, baseplate info, etc.)
We want to show base plates mark and elevations.

2. Schedule slanted columns
It would be nice to have that option

3. Schedule geometry without floors cutting out columns
Very useful tool if is available. Right now un-cutting the geometry is very painful in big projects.

4. Schedule columns from linked models.
It would be nice to have that option

5. Schedule and sort columns by height, column mark, baseplate type, grid intersection or by any parameter you specify.
We are happy with the grid location right now.

6. Customize the way off-grid columns are labeled.
We try to avoid off-grids columns.


7. Automatically keep itself up to date
Yes, this is essential

8. Control over linestyles used
sure

9. what do you need a custom GCS to do?
Currently we use an actual base plate family (3D element) which has information regarding the base plate, grout pack, anchor rods, and elevation of the base plate, we would like to be able to use the data from this to populate the GCS, in lieu of just adding more parameters to the column.



Things we need to understand:

1. If additional rows of data are to be added to the schedule, which column in a vertical chain does it come from?
Need more info.

2. How would you deal with naming off-grid columns.
Look at no.6 for our answer.

3. Do you also need columns in a column schedule to have an indication of which grid intersection they live near?
The actual GCS do that.

4. Would a more integrated system for columns, baseplates, footings with schedules be of interest?
See response to number 9 above.

let me know if you need more information.

[formology]

Hi,

First, Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas about this. The reason I asked about a "system" for managing columns/baseplates etc was due to my curiosity about whether people were using the 3d baseplate type family. Some people seem to be adding them (nesting them) in their column families, some people seem to be adding them as separate elements etc. I'd like to know more about your current workflow, how are you adding them, how do you control them, what do your schedules look like?



1. If additional rows of data are to be added to the schedule, which column in a vertical chain does it come from?
Need more info.


Specifically what I was curious about was that since one column line may be made up of several individual columns, when we add rows of information to the GCS (e.g., schedule shared paramter MyBasePlate from columns and add it as a row of data in the GCS) should the paramter value from the lowest column be scheduled and values of upper columns be ignored?

additional:
1. Are there other paramters of the column (in addition to the shared params) that need to be scheduled?

2. Do you need to add dimensions to GCS?

3. how important is it to be able to access column properties from the GCS? (i.e., in current GCS, you can select a column and the properties palette shows the column values)

4. How important is filtering in GCS?

5. How important is grouping similar columns?

Thanks
-Zach

[wrartes]

Hi,

Currently we are trying to avoid changing the out of the box families in Revit so we have a 3d column base plate we can add to the bottom of the column and tag the elevation of the baseplate on plan because Revit doesn't offer other solutions right now. The column base plates have a parameter to fill information on a separate schedule. (see image attached).

We tried the option to have all the parameters in the column but the GCS does not offer any benefits with parameters inside the column.

Your idea for the "Mybaseplate" shared parameter doesn't work very well because; if the columns are grouped for similar locations Revit will not understand that we want to group column location but also separate the ones that have a different base plates.

We also have parameters for the reinforcement of the concrete columns.

Right now we don't add dimension to the GCS, but having the option available is not a bad idea.

The option to access the properties in the column from the GCS is very important because we have parameters for others type of columns like Concrete Columns.


We generally don’t show Post or small column elements we use in the modeling, we have a filter parameter to remove those elements from the GCS.

[callum854798]

85584

Hi, just wondering where this has got to as if we could get some software that allows the GCS to create a concrete column schedule as per the attached and be fully editable and update itself we would be extremely interested in purchasing this product, as I’m sure all engineers using Revit in Australia and New Zealand would be.

We have developed our own Tags etc. that allows us to create a similar col schedule using the GCS but this is a little time consuming and clumsy, if all info shown could be automatically read from the columns parameters and put into a row format as per the attached would be a huge help.

I am available to answer any questions if required.

Regards

Callum

p.s can’t believe that this hasn’t received more posts as this is a major issue with Revit and scheduling concrete columns.

[adrian524293]

I'm with you Callum, we are still doing ours the old way in Acad.
I've attached our variation of the column schedule. I guess in Revit it'd need sorting & grouping of parameters silimar to Callums and at the end of the day doesn't need to look exactly like our Autocad one.

[JMELENDEZ]

I just need one parameter to make GCS work for me. See attachment:

Also, if this application has been developed I would be interested.

[cadorette605686]

Having a way to sort the columns by a certain parameter (Column Mark) in ascending order would rock! Has there been any movement on this?

[ksuWallaceJ]

I realize this is an old thread, but having the actually column base and top elevations list in a GCS and in the basic column schedule is a need of ours. We can have the name of the level show and the offset, but would prefer to have just the elevation. For example:

Base Elevation
99' - 4"

instead of

Base Level I Base Offset
Finish Floor I -8"

[pnorman]

Any updates? The Revit 2016 GCS still sucks to the point of being completely useless! Sort by column mark. Even the default sort order is not working, columns go B-3, B-4, E-2a, G-2a. Ca-4, Ea-4, = useless.

[adrian524293]

Of course not, don't be silly! :roll:

I've started intermittently spaming their feedback form with this. It has another suggestion in it too. Good luck!

"Hi guys. I have a couple of suggestions to improve our workflow.

1. Being able to split areas like floors. Similar to the we can create parts in other elements, I would like to be able to select a floor and split it into 2 separate independent floors. This will improve efficiency when demolishing a small area of existing slab for example. There are many other areas we would find this useful.

2. Currently the graphical column schedule is only sortable by location. Can you investigate making it sortable, and groupable by shared parameters?

Let me know if you would like real life working examples of any of my suggestions.

Cheers"